Firm Profile > Van Doorne > Amsterdam, Netherlands

Data privacy and data protection Tier 1

The 'exceptional' team at Van Doorne is led by the well-known Elisabeth Thole who is one of the most experienced data protection lawyers in the Netherlands. She is ably assisted by senior associate Özer Zivali advising on all aspects of GDPR compliance; notification of data breaches to the Data Protection Authorities and the affected data subjects. The work also includes claims/damage control and cyber insurance issues. It advises on all aspects of e-commerce, including reviewing websites and apps and drafting terms and conditions.

Dispute resolution: Mediation Tier 1

Van Doorne's mediation practice brings together experts from across the firm, representing clients in a range of cases relating to liability, business and shareholder disputes, employment, and technology. The practice is led by Bas van Zelst, a highly respected practitioner who has published extensively on mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Employment Tier 1

Van Doorne remains one of the key firms in the Netherlands for employment law and other related advisory work. Additionally, the firm houses one of the jurisdiction's strongest pension teams, with a good number of sector-wide  and individual company pension funds among its client list. The firm is active in both advisory work and disputes, providing a full service across all aspects of employment law. Els de Wind focuses on cross-border matters and co-heads the team along with Marjolijn Lips. Other key figures within the team include specialist pension law advisor Albert van Marwijk Kooy, as well as senior associates Steven Sterk, who is particularly experienced in worker participation matters, and Cara Pronk, who assists de Wind in the international employment practice.

Fraud and white-collar crime Tier 1

Van Doorne's practice was strengthened by the hire of counsel Vanessa Liem from the Institute for Financial Crime; Liem jointly heads the practice alongside the experienced Jan Leliveld and Ed van Liere. This has bolstered the firm's already strong offering across white-collar crime issues, acting for national and international companies, alongside senior management on compliance and regulatory issues, internal investigations, and representation in criminal litigation. Matters include money-laundering, corruption, and other forms of workplace misconduct, with the team able to work on cross-border and multi-jurisdictional cases.

Industry focus: Food Tier 1

Van Doorne provides end to end expertise to its food and beverages clients, who appreciate its 'accuracy, good service and collaborative approach'. The 'very experienced' Lisette Bieleveld heads up the team, and counts Starbucks Coffee Netherlands among the clients she is assisting with a range of corporate matters. The team also acts on sales, acquisitions and major supply, distribution and franchising agreements. Kriek Wille and Bart van Reeken are other senior key practitioners.

Industry focus: Information technology Tier 1

The Van Doorne practice is praised by clients for its customer care and the breadth of its expertise. Team head Bart van Reeken is singled out for his 'personal touch' whilst dealing with high-stakes cases. His clients range from large corporates to start-ups, which he assists with outsourcings, joint ventures and a range of IT contracts. Louis Jonker stands out for his 'smart, highly driven' approach to transactions and contentious work; he has a focus on the digital health and fintech sectors. Arno Voerman is noted for his expertise in fintech regulation and Elisabeth Thole is well known on the data protection front.

Industry focus: Media and entertainment Tier 1

At Van Doorne, the team's strong links with other relevant practice areas such as tax and IP make the firm a popular choice for media projects and ventures that require combined expertise. The team offers clients 'understanding of the relevant market, quick analysis of the problems involved and very practical advice' on matters ranging from M&A to disputes. Her 'great knowledge' and 'sharp focus' make Kriek Wille, who heads the practice jointly with Jeroen Sombezki, 'a joy to work with'. Also noted are technology specialist Louis Jonker and Marjolijn Lips, a key contact for employment matters. 

Industry focus: retail Tier 1

Van Doorne's clients point to its 'wide variety of expertise and in-depth knowledge' as a key strength of the group. Practice head Lisette Bieleveld is highly rated for her skills in retail-related contracting and litigation, Onno Boerstra focuses on M&A including buy-outs, and Elisabeth Thole brings data protection expertise, while Els de Wind  handles international labour and employment law. The team provides retailers, distributors, suppliers, franchisors, brand owners and investors with a comprehensive service including advice on cross-border expansions.

Insurance Tier 1

Van Doorne is 'a leading practice for professional liability and D&O liability', providing 'excellent knowledge' and 'good connections to the London market'. The firm is experienced in acting for the insurers of the directors, as defence, coverage, and monitoring counsel, focusing especially on clients from the not-for-profit sector, among them healthcare companies and housing corporations. Other work includes policy drafting and supervision of the insurance sector. The team, headed by the 'highly skilled' Annemieke Hendrikse and the 'extremely efficient' Walter Hendriksen, was further bolstered by the arrival of experienced litigator Willeke van Spanje at senior associate level from Van Traa Advocaten.

Construction Tier 2

Van Doorne is primarily focused on non-contentious construction matters, advising developers on large-scale commercial and residential projects, including acting for several housing corporations and assisting large corporates with construction and redevelopment of retail premises. The firm also has substantial experience of healthcare-related redevelopment and construction projects, often acting for hospital operators and academic institutions. The practice is led by Mark Moolhuizen and Annerie Ploumen. Jordie Bakker is a name to note among the more junior ranks.

Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation Tier 2

The dispute resolution team at Van Doorne is instructed across the spectrum of litigation work, and is particularly recommended for class actions, shareholder disputes and corporate litigation, representing clients in some of the market's largest cases. Additionally, the firm is frequently instructed in professional liability cases, with a team led by dispute resolution practice co-head Walter Hendriksen receiving instructions from law firms and auditors, as well as maintaining a strong presence in director's and officer's liability matters. Hendriksen's fellow practice head Jasper Leedekerken is involved in a broader range of work, with mass litigation and securities disputes being two stand-out areas. Corporate litigation specialist Sjoerd Kamerbeek is also recommended.

Environment and planning Tier 2

Van Doorne advises local and provincial authorities as well as private developers on a range of environment and zoning issues and clients praise the team's 'expertise and creativity'. Cees Kniestedt leads the practice and is experienced in real estate law, from project development to construction. Key clients include Loro Parque Fundacion, Municipality of Gooise Meren, and Hornbach Nederland. Key highlights include senior team member Annet Blokhuis representing Loro Parque in court in relation to the relocation of orca Morgan.

Industry focus: healthcare and life sciences Tier 2

Van Doorne fields a dedicated team of specialists who focus on the domestic and international life sciences and healthcare sectors, with notable expertise in IP, competition, regulatory, data protection and corporate and M&A issues. The practice advises on medicinal products, medical devices, digital healthcare technology, biotechnology, cosmetics and the rescue of financially distressed healthcare providers. Willemien Bischot focuses on all aspects of the healthcare sector including corporate transactions, funding and financing work and insurance matters. Dimitri van Hoewijk handles corporate, M&A and private equity matters and assists healthcare, life sciences and medical tech clients with acquisitions, joint ventures and contractual work. Cees Jan de Boer has a focus on competition issues.

Project finance and PFI Tier 2

Van Doorne houses a construction practice with strong PFI experience, and acts for leading consortia and lenders providing credit facilities to consortia; it also advises on the tenderer side. The group is noted for its track record in the hospital and healthcare financing sector, where practice co-head Roel Botter stands out, and also handles other private financing work for public sector bodies including housing corporations and educational institutions. Fellow practice head Angelique Thiele is recommended for German clients operating in the Dutch market, particularly pfandbriefbanks and insurers.

Real estate Tier 2

The 'friendly and flexible' team at Van Doorne, is jointly headed by Mark Moolhuizen and the 'well-respected' Annerie Ploumen. The practice is a popular choice for companies active in commercial real estate, real estate developers, institutional investors, foreign and domestic banks, the Dutch government, local government bodies, housing corporations, universities, and hospitals. In a recent highlight, a team led by Andy Furr advised Retail Estates on the acquisition of the Freeland Portfolio, consisting of three large Dutch retail parks, in a matter worth €91m. Jan Roeland was a new arrival from PKF Wallast.

Banking and finance: Borrower side Tier 3

Van Doorne's finance practice has several strong sector focuses , including healthcare and hospitals, where it is one of the market leaders, leveraged financing, and real estate finance. The firm remains popular with domestic clients, though real estate finance in particular is an area where the firm does act for substantial international clients. Roel Botter is a key contact for public sector financing work and jointly leads the team with property finance specialist Angelique Thiele.

Banking and finance: Financial services regulatory Tier 3

The team at Van Doorne is 'pragmatic, open, realistic and with a high level of expertise' and has a particular focus on ongoing regulatory obligations and enforcement within the e-money, fintech, insurance and pension sectors. The specialisation is illustrated by recent work highlights, which includes assisting a major pension fund with a collective transfer of pension entitlements and advising a Dutch bank on its acquisition of a minority stake in a fintech start-up. Friso Foppes is the key contact. Former practice head Arno Voerman departed to Dentons in 2020. 

Banking and finance: lender or arranger side Tier 3

At Van Doorne, the focus is on property financing, with work covering the full roster, including residential, retail, and office space, as well as hotels. In an illustration of this expertise, a team led by Stefan van Rossum advised Aareal Bank, as lender and arranger, on the €34.8m financing of the acquisition and renovation of the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam. The firm's clients include Dutch and international banks, as well as alternative finance providers, among them funds and institutional investors, which the team assists with leveraged financing and corporate lending. Angelique Thiele is another key contact.

Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 3

Van Doorne's arbitration team was strengthened by the recent arrival of associate Fleur Potter and the 'sharp and pragmatic' Rogier Schellaars from Simmons & Simmons; the latter is now jointly heading the practice with Bas van Zelst. Schellaars and van Zelst have considerable experience arbitrating before both the ICC and NAI, making them 'a very strong team to handle international arbitration cases'. In recent work, the group represented Caratube International Oil in highly contentious enforcement proceedings regarding an ICSID Award against the Republic of Kazakhstan and the National Bank of Kazakhstan. Jasper Leedekerken is another key contact.

EU and competition Tier 3

Van Doorne has extensive experience of providing competition rules compliance advice and training. It also assists clients with ACM inquiries and the competition rules in relation to distribution arrangements. It has a  notable presence in the healthcare, retail, education, media and financial services sectors. The 'excellent' Sarah Beeston and Gijs Verberne jointly lead the team and clients praise them for their 'hands-on approach' and delivering 'constructive advice'. Associate Pim Jansen is also noted.

Private equity Tier 3

Van Doorne's private equity practice is noted for its specialist knowledge in advising the management of target companies in PE transactions, but also sponsors that invest in healthcare and FinTech. The team also assists a good number Dutch and international PE houses in transactions, and frequently acts as Dutch co-counsel with top-tier US firms when their PE clients acquire Dutch assets. Corporate/M&A practice head Jeroen Sombezki leads the department.

Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3

Van Doorne's restructuring and insolvency practice possess debt restructuring, litigation, and enforcement specialists. Practice head Stefan van Rossum leads the 'professional' team. Rossum assisted Green Swan with its acquisition of Intertoys out of bankruptcy, a notable firm highlight. Additionally, the firm advised Rabobank on the financial restructuring of the Ter Haak group.

Tax Tier 3

Van Doorne has an increasingly significant practice for private client tax work, and also acts for large and medium-sized businesses and their owners on issues relating to business transfers and estate planning. For national and international transactional work, Ewout van Asbeck is the key contact. Practice head Rob de Win has specialist expertise in real estate and indirect taxes. New arrival Jan Roeland regularly advises US and other non-Dutch companies on how best to structure their worldwide operations.

Commercial, corporate and M&a Tier 4

With a 'good quality combination of all-round lawyers and specialists', Van Doorne handles M&A, privatisations, private equity transactions and joint ventures and leverages its sector-specific expertise. The group has also teamed up with one of  Europe's leading cybersecurity companies to develop a cybersecurity audit and due diligence product for its clients. Jeroen Sombezki leads the team; Onno Boerstra handles private equity work, joint ventures and management buyouts; and Hugo Reumkens and Friso Foppes advise Dutch and foreign companies, private equity funds and other investors. Steffen Alleman is also a key name to note.

Intellectual property: trade marks, copyrights and design rights Tier 4

Van Doorne has wide-ranging experience across non-contentious and contentious IP, combining cross-border capabilities with expertise in anti-counterfeiting, trade mark and patent litigation. Practice head Kriek Wille is 'a strategic thinker and a delight to work with', and is representing Laboratoires La Prairie in a substantial trade mark and advertising law dispute with the Lidl group. Bas Pinckaers is also noted.

Diversity

Van Doorne 

Van Doorne believes in the power of diversity and change. Another perspective, free and open communication, and respect for each other are crucial to improving ourselves. Our success derives from being an organisation in which every employee works at the peak of their inspiration and capacities. 

Our society is multi-coloured and diverse. Van Doorne wants its workforce to reflect that. Diversity fits seamlessly with our informal and open organisation. We are a firm where people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, neurology, gender and sexual orientation are given scope to develop initiatives, take responsibility and be themselves. That way, we can offer the inventiveness and the open mind that lead to the best solutions.  

Male/Female ratio virtually equal 

Saskia Laseur is our Managing Partner and she leads by example. Our diversity policy has been acknowledged and encouraged in the form of various awards and distinctions we have received for successful policy in the legal profession. By signing the Charter Talent to the Top in 2008, we committed to a real, self-selected objective for more female talent in the top and sub-top levels. 

• Almost one third of our partners are female
  
• The male/female ratio of fee-earners is almost equally balanced

More cultural diversity and less distance 

We aim at diversity in terms of cultural background, religion and ethnicity as well. We help reduce the distance between graduates from minority sectors and the labour market. We have done this, together with VU University Amsterdam, partly by building a bridge to students from a non-Western background. We also have close relationships with student associations for students from a non-Western background. 

In the application process, we use culture-fair cognitive tests to ensure that no ethnic or cultural group will have an unfair advantage over another. 

In our office, we have a faith room to give individuals of any faith the opportunity to undertake their own specific religious practices. 

Our belief in diversity is nothing new. In the past, Van Doorne signed the declaration of intent named ‘Diversity within the legal profession’ from a wholehearted conviction.  

Acknowledgement, acceptance and visibility of LGBT individuals 

We have been closely involved with Stichting Forward from the outset. Forward is a foundation that focuses on promoting LGBT acceptance, acknowledgement and visibility within the Dutch legal profession. One of our lawyers, candidate civil-law notary Andy Furr, is a member of the Supervisory Board of this progressive organisation. 

Each year, we celebrate Pride together at the office and we support the annual international competition Pride Photo Award. We exhibit the photos in our office, to stimulate conversations about sexual diversity and gender diversity. 

At Van Doorne, we are always looking for ways to improve ourselves, including in the area of diversity. As of February 2020, we will start with a diversity scan at the firm. This research will be conducted under the guidance of a diversity expert and will focus on various forms of diversity. The aim of the scan is to inform and accelerate our policy on diversity. 

Notable Cases

Van Doorne assists Terra Payment Services (Netherlands) B.V. on the sale by Mahindra Comviva to a consortium of investors, comprising of IFC, Partech and Prime Ventures and the subsequent investment round. Terra Payment Services (Netherlands) B.V. is a FinTech company (spin out of Mahindra Comviva), providing B2B global transaction processing, clearing and settlement services to payment service providers (i.e. mobile wallets) as well as related value-added services. Terra Payment Services (Netherlands) B.V. was founded in 2014 and incubated by Comviva Technologies Ltd, a leading provider of value-added services for mobile operators. Comviva is majority owned by the multinational technology provider Tech Mahindra, which is a part of the Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group. 

Van Doorne advised Scandinavian Tobacco Group in the acquisition of all the shares in the capital of Agio Beheer B.V. from Highlands Beheer B.V. Agio Beheer B.V. is the holding company of the Royal Agio Cigars group (“Royal Agio”). The acquisition will be financed by cash at hand and debt. The transaction is subject to satisfactory conclusion of a statutory employee consultation process in The Netherlands and subsequent completion will require approval from competition authorities in certain European jurisdictions.  

Royal Agio is a leading European cigar company with a strong portfolio including brands as Mehari’s, Panter and Balmoral. The company is based in Duizel, the Netherlands and has approximately 3,200 full-time employees. 

Van Doorne advised Altor Equity Partners and its portfolio company Trioplast Group on its acquisition of the Dutch company Apeldoorn Flexible Packaging, a leading player in solutions for load stability and food packaging, from JPF Netherlands BV, an entity of B.C. Jindal group. We covered the entire range of services in this buy side mandate, including term sheet and SPA negotiations, a full scope due diligence, merger filings in the Netherlands and Germany, financing and structuring.   

Van Doorne advised Hill Top 4, a joint venture between Equity Estate and Arzan Wealth on its acquisition of the shares in the capital of Spectrum GP B.V., HB West NL GP B.V. and HB Cascade GP B.V. and the participation rights in Spectrum NL CV, West NL C.V. and HB Cascade Owner NL C.V. which companies own and operate Quarter Offices in Amsterdam, and the related roll-over of the existing bank financing. 

The Quarter Offices portfolio comprises three high quality office buildings – Quarter Plaza, Quarter Podium and Quarter Avenue – with a total lettable floor area of approximately 26,150 sqm and 431 parking spaces. Large tenants such as Aon, DPA, Maandag and Robert Half International are located in Quarter Offices. 

HighBrook Investors acquired the three buildings in the past two and a half years in three separate transactions. After completing major renovations in all three building, the buildings were re-introduced to the market as high quality office buildings with high services and facilities under the brand name Quarter Offices where facilities between buildings are being shared. Since acquisition more than 22,000 sqm LFA of office space has been leased out, meaning that the overall portfolio occupancy has gone up from under 10% to 86%.